Monday, January 07, 2013

I love grassroots efforts. The effects of normal people pitching in to help others or spearhead a good cause always makes me feel good. My friend Valerio, an actor and talented playwriter in Rome, has been involved in just such a cause, and now he's asking for our help.

The Teatro Valle is an historic theatre in the heart of Rome. It was built in 1726 and was the only opera house theater in the city at the time. It is the oldest active theater in Roma. The beautiful auditorium is lined with lush viewing boxes in a horseshoe shape, surrounding the gallery and looking down to the stage. It is just a few steps from Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, and yet is largely overlooked and unknown to foreign visitors.

The theater has been a public treasure and home for the performing arts for years, but in 2010 as part of budget-cutting measure's the city shut it down and proposed privitizing it, thus taking it out of the public domain and artistic access. Valerio and a group of artists, performers and everyday people banded together and occupied the theater to keep it from being transferred into private hands or closed altogether. They have lived in and performed in the Teatro Valle since then, working tirelessly to form an official organization and get funding.

During the "occupation" they have written plays and performed them for the public, put on workshops and symposiums, and brainstormed on the vision for the theater's future. They are culturally and artistically-minded.

They now have a very good chance of winning funding, thanks to a bando, a public competition for funds through the Bene Comune Foundation. Their proposal has made it through the process and is among the 32 finalists. But this is where he needs your help! The funds are awarded partly on the merits of their presentation and formal proposal, and partly based on internet voting by the public. He is asking for your vote in this final leg of the race - there are only a few days left, as voting ends on January 13.

Please take a few minutes to register on the site and cast your vote for Crisi 2.0 TEATRO VALLE. It's easy and takes just a few minutes. There is a YouTube video to show you how to do it, too. This gem of a a theater deserves to be saved and their vision for performances, workshops and theatrical training for budding writers and actors is noteworthy. Just two minutes of your time can make a difference, and you can then go visit the theater for yourself when you're next in Rome to see it for yourself!

CheFare - Bene Comune Foundation - Public Competition for Cultural Funding of 100,000 Euros.This link takes you to the Teatro Valle page. Click "Vota" where you'll be asked to register. Once you've done that and confirmed your registration, you can return to the page and cast your vote.